Metro Bus Project will be completed before the target date

ISLAMABAD- About 35 percent of work on the Metro Bus Project has been completed so far and the whole project should be completed two months before the target date, according to Hanif Abbasi, Chairman, Metro Bus Project Committee.

This was stated during his briefing on the Metro Bus Project at the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry. MNA Dr. Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, Chief Commissioner ICT Jawad Paul, Member (Admin) CDA Amir Ali Ahmed and many officers of administration attended the briefing.

Abbasi stated that this project was launched to provide modern transport to the lower middle classes of the twin cities and is a facet of the many projects initiated by the Punjab government during the last five years. These include the Rawalpindi Institute of Cardiology, 400 beds for a kidney hospital, Technical Training Institute as well as flyovers at Chandni Chowk.

He added that the Metro Bus would cost Rs 44.31 billion and would run on a track of 22.5 kilometers with 8.6 kilometers elevated corridors in Rawalpindi and 13.9 kilometers on ground track in Islamabad. Around Rs 7 billion are being used to construct a modern interchange at Peshawar More.

According to him, the project has been divided into 8 packages with the target for completion set as January 2015; however he expressed the hope that despite this the project be completed within 6-8 months. The affected traders would be compensated with payment ranging from Rs 3.7 million to 4.6 million per marla.